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Monthly Archives: April 2012

Sleep is something I haven’t had in about five years. More nights than not, I’m bouncing from room to room at 3am. Cuddling, shoosh-ing, escorting to the bathroom, and getting annoyed that the husband snores right through it all. Hello. You’d think he would join me and the kids on our middle of the night escapades. Honestly though, my kids become “mommy kids” at night. Anyhow, I can’t say now that it’s all that bad. Ella knows that on school nights 8pm is bedtime and she’s usually pretty compliant. She has her snack and reads her books and off to dreamland she goes. Ethen is three years-old, he goes in at 7:30pm and he’ll usually sleep right on through until 7am. (Although daylight savings has been keeping him up a bit longer. I think he gets confused when I rally him up for night night and the sun is blazing through his bedroom window.)

Not too long ago though, I was a mom of two kids under two and night-time and nap time and any other time involving fussy, crying babies was always a challenge. That was, until I discovered a great yoga technique for getting my wee little ones to zonk out. It’s perfect for newborns through about one year. So if you’re a new mommy and are having a difficult time getting your precious one to calm down and go nighty night, pay attention. Divine Drops Pose might just be your saving grace. It was definitely mine.

Divine Drops activate my calming reflex and soothe me in a jiffy! Divine Drops are easy to do with me at anytime and almost anywhere – especially when I am fussy or in a colicky mood.

Stand with your feet more than hip distance apart.

Hold your baby facing you with her legs pressed into your abdomen. Place your right hand underneath her hips and lower back, and use your left hand to support your baby’s neck and the back of her head. Her legs are being fully or partially supported as they snuggle into your body.

Turn your toes out to the sides at a 45 degree angle as you prepare to squat.

Variation pose: If your baby becomes addicted to this pose and you become too tired doing it (like at 2am), you can try holding and supporting your baby as you gently bounce on an exercise ball. I used to do this with Ella as well and it worked!

***Always remember to keep your baby’s head in place and supported at all times!***

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As a mom who writes children’s books on veganism, Ruby Roth is on a mission to help change the way we see food and the world. While Roth has recently drawn criticism for her new book ‘Vegan is Love,’ I really believe the overall message she is sending to moms and dads and families across the globe is invaluable.

The harshest criticism this book is receiving according to registered dietician Nicole German:

“...it could easily scare a young child into eating vegan, and without proper guidance that child could become malnourished” and “…children are impressionable and this is too sensitive of a topic to have a child read this book.”

I agree that children are impressionable, but I also believe that it is our responsibility to convey truthful messages to our children without guilting them or instilling fear. Furthermore, any diet that is not properly overseen by a responsible parent has the possibility or tendency to become unhealthy – not just veganism. It’s the lack of supervision, not the diet in this case. Why does the media tend to forget that WE are RESPONSIBLE for raising healthy, well-adjusted kids?

In a video book trailer (below) for ‘Vegan is Love,’

Roth says:

“If we want to move towards an era of solutions where the planet is healing, people are fed and healthy, there is good in the way we do business and a reverence in the world for all living things, then all we have to do is live that life ourselves.”

Whether you are vegan or vegetarian or omnivore – we ALL need to become more connected to our food and to Mother Earth. As parents we need to teach our children about proper nutrition, why healthy eating is a must, and how every decision we make influences our world. The best way to do this is to live that life ourselves!

Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be.~David Bly

With the declaration of January Jones eating her placenta and Alicia Silverstone pre-chewing her baby’s food, the ‘Mommy Wars’ seem to be back in full swing these past couple weeks. Just when I thought we had hung up the gloves, now I’m doubting this will ever happen. At least not anytime soon. And after reading some comments from the many blog posts written about this last week – I’m really starting to understand why this will never happen and it’s not as simple as pure disagreement. I think I figured out at least a few important contributors-

1. “Fear” or “discomfort” with the unknown.

2. Lack of knowledge.

3. No desire to acquire said knowledge.

4. Ignorance.

I’m sure there are many more factors that breed this divide, but in my experience as a mother (a whole five years of it, I know I’m far from expert status) I really feel that when women [and men and grandparents and aunts and uncles and strangers] are indifferent to each other’s parenting ways – it’s mostly because of a general lack of understanding. What works for my family may not work for yours and I get that, but do you?

A great quote:

The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about. – Wayne Dyer

In general, when we are faced with something that may make us uncomfortable (in Momville this may include placenta encapsulation, elimination communication, home birth, co-sleeping, extended breastfeeding and so on) we tend to act with a quick rush to judgement without really thinking it through.

Some comments I found:

I really believe that so much of the crunchy mom shit is for the benefit of the neurotic mother and not the kid. Let’s strap the kid to me 24 hrs a day, and watch his face to see if he needs a crap instead of putting diapers on, and pre chew his food, and give him booby milk every time he cries till he’s 8, and basically anything else that is that most inconvenient way to do anything so they can be the Best Mommy Martyr and look down on those ‘mainstream moms’.

She’s still nursing her nearly four-year old child? Talk about attachment.

Holy hell! I hadnt heard of “silverstoning” and I am beyond disgusted! What is she, a momma bird? If the kid cant eat it on his own then I have a great idea…. DON’T FEED IT TO HIM! She will probably continue to breatfeed him thru highschool as well.

…she still breastfeeds her 3 1/2 year old, all of her children sleep in the same bed as her and her husband, and none of her children have ever worn diapers.I’m not sure how that worked with babies in the bed with them! Nuts

THREE AND A HALF??? If you’re old enough to spell “T-I-T-S,” you’re too old to drink from them.

Agreed. Also you should right about the extremists that use breastmilk for everything…I know a mom that shot it up her kid’s nose when he had a cold. I have also heard of using it for pink eye. Thanks but I’ll stick to the drops the doc prescribes!

So I ask all moms, how do we propose to open the minds and hearts of other women? Is it even possible? I realize that we ALL have different opinions on subjects such as parenting, but the judging and crudeness out there in Mommyland is alive and kicking. And believe you me, I am well aware that it’s not just a one way street attack on ‘crunchy’ moms, this street has many twists and turns and likes to tear down SAHMs, working moms, bottle feeding, formula feeding, crib sleeping, co-sleeping, vaccinators, non-vaccinators, home-schoolers, private-schoolers, public-schoolers, soccer, helicopter – you name it.

Why can’t we as moms just accept that everyone will not parent the same way we do? Why is that so hard to comprehend? Why do we feel the need to be harsh and judgmental towards others? Is it satisfying? Does it feed our own ego? Does it help make us feel better about our own choices? Is it productive? Entertainment? What do you think?

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I don’t know what’s been going on with me today, but I am in this constant state of annoyance. I’ve been trying to OM it away, but it keeps coming back. I think it’s because my kids have been especially “needy” this week. I’m talking all out, every second, minute, hour-

“Mommy, I don’t want to eat I want to play.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“No wait, yes I am hungry.”

“I don’t want that for lunch.”

“I want pickles.”

“Can you cut them?”

“EEEWWWW, nevermind. I don’t want pickles.”

“I have to go peeeeee. I have to go peeeee!!”

“No I don’t, it’s number two.”

“I need a book.”

“Mommmmeeeeeeeee…..I’M DONE!”

“Can you wipe me?”

All the while I’m singing the Smurf’s anthem and trying to maintain my sanity. La la la la la la-la la la la laaaaa… Yep, that’s right – the smurfs to maintain sanity. Have you ever even heard? I might as well just put my head in the oven and call it a day. No wait – a glass of red, I wanna wake up tomorrow.

First of all, I know very well that it takes time and knowledge to prepare a kid-healthy diet.

Is it easy? No.

Is it practical? Not all the time.

Can it be done? Yes.

Here is a list of major food groups and what I feed my kids (or at least try to on a day-to-day basis):

Supplementation:

If kids eat healthy, organic foods most of the time, then I don’t think there is a desperate need to supplement. But the case for supplementation does remain because farming methods (even some organic farms) in the US deplete our food of nutrients, and many families either because of expense or a fast-paced lifestyle- do not eat balanced, nutritious, healthy meals or snacks.

It’s also very important to understand that not all vitamin supplements are made equally. Some are much better quality than others. In my home we use Standard Process. Established in 1929, Standard Process is the oldest physician supplement company in the country. These products are only sold through health care professionals and are made from dried, organically grown whole foods.

Why is this important?

Dr Royal Lee, founder of Standard Process challenged common scientific beliefs by choosing a holistic approach of providing nutrients through whole foods. His goal was to provide nutrients as they are found in nature – in a whole food state where he believed their natural potency and efficacy would be realized. Dr. Lee believed that when nutrients remain intact and are not split from their natural associated synergists – known and unknown – bioactivity is markedly enhanced over synthetic nutrients. Following this philosophy, even a small amount of a whole food concentrate will offer enhanced nutritional support, compared to a synthetic or fractionated/isolated vitamin. Therefore, one should examine the source of nutrients rather than looking at the quantities of individual nutrients on product labels.

“We have drifted into this deplorable position of national malnutrition quite inadvertently. It is the result of scientific research with the objective of finding the best ways to create foods that are non-perishable that can be made by mass production methods in central factories, and distributed so cheaply that they can sweep all local competition from the market. Then, after there develops a suspicion that these “foods” are inadequate to support life, modern advertising steps in to propagandize the people into believing that there is nothing wrong with them, that they are products of scientific research intended to afford a food that is the last word in nutritive value, …and the confused public is totally unable to arrive at any conclusion of fact, and continues to blindly buy the rubbish that is killing them off years ahead of their time.” Dr. Royal Lee June 1943

“The American people have been humbugged into digging their graves with their own teeth!” -Dr. Royal Lee

If a consistent, vitamin-healthy diet is not practical, then expecting our kids to grow up healthy is not a practical outcome.

For this week’s giveaway, Sylvia from Person10 Etsy Shop is donating a $25 gift certificate to be used on one of her handmade, organic workout tanks. I’m so excited because I know you gals are gonna love these!

But before I get into why I love her shirts and how wonderful she is for giving back to her community, I have to let you in on the true meaning behind the name Person10-

Origin of the Company Name-

“For every nine people who denounce innovation, only one will encourage it… For every nine people who do things the way they have always been done, only one will ever wonder if there is a better way. For every nine people who stand in line in front of a locked building, only one will ever come around and check the back door.

Our progress as a species rests squarely on the shoulders of that tenth person. The nine are satisfied with things they are told are valuable. Person 10 determines for himself what has value.” – Za Rinpoche and Ashley Nebelsieck, in The Backdoor to Enlightenment

Isn’t that awesome? And so right up my alley!

Now more about her amazing tanks:

Sylvia designs and hand makes all the products at Person10. She specializes in tank tops, with a little added flair, for active moms and women. She use two types of fabric in her shop, catering to two different needs: organic cotton for the eco-friendly and sweat wicking for the hard-core running/gym enthusiast.

The organic cotton comes in softer, more subtle colors and is ridiculously soft! The sweat wicking is a lighter fabric which absorbs sweat off of your body and dries at lightening speed. Wear sweat wicking during hot yoga, marathons, or long-distance runs.

Sylvia sews all of her products and her partner (graphic designer and artist) silk screens on a custom quote or image. Right now, they have several quotes related to working out and fitness- some motivational, some funny- ALL inspiring and positive! And if that’s not enough to get you over to her etsy shop– Person10 donates 20% of all sales to a local Food for Kids Backpack Program.

Check these out:

And my favorite:

Is this motherhood or what?

A big THANK YOU to Sylvia from Person10! Please take the time to visit her Etsy shop, her blog, and her Facebook page to learn more about her success in making shirts that make changes- 100% handmade! Make a purchase, make a difference.

To have a chance at winning the $25 gift certificate from Person10, just leave me a comment below or on my Facebook page under the Person10 giveaway link. Easy! Giveaway open until Friday April 13th, 11:59 pm EST. Winners selected through random.org and notified through email. Winners will be notified by email within 5 days after the entry deadline date. Winners must respond within 5 days or a new winner will be selected. Contest open to USA and Canada.